Washington University in St. Louis has recently obtained final approval for an $80 million student apartment and retail project in the Delmar Loop in University City and the city of St. Louis.

The 4.4-acre residential and retail development project will include five new buildings, with apartments for about 600 undergraduate students, and approximately 22,000 square feet of new retail space. The new development will be built on university-owned property between Delmar and Enright to the north and between Westgate and Eastgate avenues.

The architect of the project is Boston-based William Rawn Associates, with St. Louis-based Tao + Lee Associates Inc. serving as the local firm. The general contractor of the project is Paric Corp. The construction phase of the project, which will incorporate numerous green features, is expected to take around 14 months. The school aims to achieve at least a LEED gold certification from the U.S. Green Building Council.

Among the key green features of the pedestrian- and bicycle-friendly development will be rooftop photovoltaic panels which will provide around 10 percent of the buildings’ electricity; solar thermal panels which are expected to generate 25 percent of the hot water supply; and sensors which will turn down lights in empty spaces. Landscaping will feature rain gardens and close to 5,000 native shrubs, grasses, grounds and ferns.

The project will feature around 250 apartments ranging in size from one- to three-bedroom units. The apartments will be managed by the WUSTL Office of Residential Life.